alpha-Bromo-o-chlorotoluene → 1H-Imidazole, 2-butyl-1-[(2-chlorophenyl)methyl]-

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

2-n-Butylimidazole (9.7 g, 0.078 mol) was dissolved in methanol (50 mL) and added dropwise to a solution of sodium methoxide [from sodium hydride (2.31 g, 0.0934 mol) in methanol (250 mL)]. After one hour, the solution was evaporated to dryness, and the sodium salt was taken up in dry dimethylformamide (150 mL), and 2-chlorobenzyl bromide (16.3 g, 0.079 mol) was added. The mixture was heated at 50° C. for 17 hours under argon, poured onto ice water, and the product was extracted into ethyl acetate. The extract was washed, dried, and concentrated to give 18.5 g of crude product which was flash chromatographed over silica gel with 2:1 hexane/ethyl acetate to provide 11.9 g (61%) of 2-n-butyl-1-(2-chlorophenyl)methyl-1H-imidazole as an oil. Thin layer chromatography on silica gel with 4:1 hexane/ethyl acetate gave an Rf value of 0.59.

Provenance & Evidence